Who You Gonna Call? Door Busters! (April 29, 2007)

Today we will do the opposite of last week. We will give some thought to "closed doors," and what happens when the power of God encounters a closed door.

Read John 20:19-31.

Notice the reference to locked doors in verse 19. Notice the reference to shut doors in verse 26. What did Jesus do when encountering a locked or a shut door?


AN OLD STORY...
There is an old story about a man with raggedy clothes who has had a rough time of it in the world and was looking for a place that cared. He didn’t belong to a church but had heard that a church was where God loved people and taught people to love each other. So when he saw a bunch of people filing into a nearby church he decided to check it out. The sign outside said, ‘All are welcome.’ So he went inside. He found a seat. Everyone was very dressed up. But no one acknowledged him. He sat through the service, which talked about salvation. He sang. But when the service ended, he noticed that everyone filed out of the pew away from him. No one spoke to him in the reception line and when he got to the minister he received a considering look and some gentle advice: ‘friend, I can see that you are looking for a church – and I’m glad – but I want you to go home and ask God, in your prayers, if this is really the right church for you.”

The man left and returned the following week. This time he did his best to dress a little nicer, but he could not dress nearly as nice as others. The same thing happened. The minister, seeing him, had one of his deacons greet him this time and suggest, again, that he should ask God if this was really the right church for him. After several more trips, played out in the same predictable fashion, the minister finally walked up to the man after the service and asked him forthrightly, “Friend, I thought you were going to ask God if this was really the right church for you.” And the man said, “I did, pastor. But the funny thing is, God said he couldn’t tell me. He said he’s never been inside your church before.”


Though this story is told in a humorous vein, it has a serious point, does it not? Is Jesus welcome in your church? Is your door open for Jesus, or are you huddled in fear behind a closed door?


Read these two stories from Acts about God's power over closed doors in a prison:

Acts 5:17-20

Acts 16:16-34

A locked door stands no chance against the power of God. Where are the closed doors and locked doors among us? Where does it seem that there is just no way for a barrier to fall?

Read one more story about a door which cannot be entered (but this time for a different reason):

Mark 2:1-12


Think about the persistence of those friends. They had a friend who had a need, and they knew Jesus was the answer, and they decided they would do whatever it took to bring their friend to Jesus. Who are you helping to bring to Jesus, the Door?

Open Doors (April 22, 2007)

This new series (through the end of May) focuses on what it means to have "open doors" as the church of Jesus Christ. Before we complete this series, you will find specific ways in which you can help "open the doors" of Bellville United Methodist Church.


One of the most notable "open doors" churches of our day and time is the Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago area. Read here about how Willow Creek was launched as an outgrowth of a successful youth ministry. Read here about how Willow Creek seeks to address those who might be called "seekers."


Early Methodism under John Wesley was certainly targeted much more toward the seeker outside the church walls than toward the insider who already knew the Lord!! This was not at all easy for Wesley, as it went against some of the traditions in which he had grown up. Read here about the adjustments Wesley had to make in order to open the doors of ministry!

When Wesley was criticized for some of his unusual methods for drawing a crowd, he responded boldly: "I set myself on fire, and people come watch me burn."


Key Scriptures for April 22:

JOHN 10:9 (nkjv). Jesus said, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

PSALM 84:10 (nrsv). A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.

MATTHEW 7:13-14 (nlt). You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

So why would God make the good gate so narrow. Certainly it may have something to do with the incredible gift of freedom God gave us. With great freedom comes great responsibility. In any case it seems clear that there are multiple dangerous paths in the world out there, and sometimes it is difficult to choose the road that leads to life.

You have the opportunity to be a doorkeeper for someone else to find a godly path. Every decision we make is an opportunity to be a doorkeeper for the Lord.



Click here and read the Parable of the Lighthouse.

What similarities do you see between what happened at the lighthouse and what sometimes happens in the church of today?


Watch some of the television spots that have been developed to communicate the message of "open hearts...open minds...open doors..."

Ordinary People (message by Carmen Rickel)

How do we keep the excitement of Easter going? Did you know that the Sunday after Easter has traditionally come to be known as "Low Sunday" - not only because the attendance seems low after the crowds of Easter, but because it is hard to match the "spiritual high" of the Easter story.

What could possibly top Easter?

Today we look at the last verses of the gospel of Matthew, following the resurrection story...


MATTHEW 28:16-20. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”


That is quite a tall order - how do we even approach it? But it was fulfilled because of Jesus' promise - "I am with you always!"

That is the key. That is the only explanation for what has happened over the last 2000+ years. Those 11 "ordinary people," and the "ordinary people" after them, and the "ordinary people" after them, and so on...were obedient and carried out his command!

Remember - it wasn't a matter of choosing "extraordinary people." Rather, Jesus equipped "ordinary people" to do "extraordinary things!"

Look at this passage from Acts (The Message):

ACTS 5:27-32. They stood them [the apostles] before the High Council. The Chief Priest said, "Didn't we give you strict orders not to teach in Jesus' name? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying your best to blame us for the death of this man." Peter and the apostles answered, "It's necessary to obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on a cross. God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. And we are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates every detail."


We sometimes chafe at obedience. Even if we do it, we do so reluctantly or sporadically, or when it is convenient. There are more unsaved and unchurched people in the U. S. than ever before. Are we going to them? We are called to "go out" beyond the doors of our church.

Stephen Covey (in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) lifted up a leadership principle of "beginning with the end in mind."

That is the principle that helps us be obedient to the mighty task of the Great Commission!



Read more here about beginning with the end in mind.


Here is an inspirational article - "What Was Jesus Thinking?" - by Richard Carlson with some further thoughts on the Great Commission.

Jesus: The Risen One (Easter)

Have you ever wondered what our faith would be like without the resurrection? What would we have without the Easter Event?

To be honest – we would still have quite a bit:

• a world created by a loving God who cares about us intimately.
• heroes who show us the power of great and mighty deeds
• the earthly deeds of Jesus, his healings and teachings, perhaps even his suffering and death on our behalf
• perhaps the church as a place to teach and learn

But what would be missing?

To be honest, it is easy and normal to be skeptical about the resurrection. The Bible tells us that even the disciples were skeptical.

The book The Case for Easter, by Lee Strobel, is a recommended resource for anyone wishing to investigate the plausibility of the resurrection story from a critical point of view.

You can also refer to this interview with Strobel on the resurrection - notice there are additional pages following page one.


It is important to remember that the raising of Jesus was not just the continuation of Jesus’ earthly life – it was the beginning of something brand new – a beginning that affects your life and mine. Let's use the Bible to remind us of some of the things that are different because of the Easter event.

• The Easter Event transforms the meaning of suffering.

Some of the oldest Bible stories reflect the idea that if you suffer there must be a reason. This concept still lingers to this day, even among Christians. You frequently hear people ask “What have I done to deserve this?” Look at this passage, and what it has to say about seeing suffering in a new light:

2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-10 (nlt). We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

• The Easter Event transforms the meaning of death.

To be honest, many of the oldest stories in the Bible reflect the idea that this life is your one shot at doing anything worthwhile. There was certainly no idea of reincarnation in Jewish traditions. What you hoped for was certainly a long life – a meaningful life – a relatively healthy life – but when you die – the best they hoped for was that your influence continued on – through your descendants and through your land. Hopefully you would be remembered.

Greek philosophy at the time of Jesus was quite different, seeing this earthly life as the ultimate test, the ultimate physical challenge. One day we would be released from the prison of this earthly body, and our invisible souls (our true selves) would be released. Greeks believed there was more to it than this life, but they could not think in terms of resurrection. Their belief was in the immortality of the soul.

NOTE: I can still remember my challenging encounter with the work of theologian Oscar Cullmann while I was in seminary. His work "Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead: The Witness of the New Testament" will highlight some of the theological nuances of the distinction between immortality and resurrection. You can access this work online at this website. Notice you will need to click each individual section of the total work. It is "deep," but worth your study!

• The Easter Event transformed our understanding of this life and beyond.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20, 22 (nrsv). In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died…. For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.

Resurrection happened not just so Jesus would be vindicated – it is your story and my story as well too. The victory he won over death is our victory too. That’s what made the first disciples so courageous. When we say “I believe in the resurrection of the body," we are speaking not of Jesus' resurrection, but of our resurrection!

• The Easter Event transforms the meaning of community.

Because of the Easter Event, community – church – is not simply a place of learning, a place where we discuss ideas about who God is. Now there's nothing wrong with that. But as resurrection people, community – church – is transformed into a place of power!

EPHESIANS 1:19-20a (nlt). I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.

Re-read some of the stories from the Book of Acts. You will see that the mighty works of Jesus did not end when he ascended into heaven. In fact they multiplied through the explosive power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is not only available to raise you from death to eternal life – but is also available to you now.

Church is transformed into a place of explosive power - resurrection power!


John Witte notes that how striking it is that in the resurrection stories, the followers of Jesus "consistently fail to recognize him," yet that God also makes possible a variety of ways for them to apprehend him. Read his article "A Manifold Resurrection" for more of his thoughts:

Jesus: The Crucified One (Palm Sunday)

Who was responsible for Jesus’ death? There are many ways to analyze this question:

• JUDAS. He was the disciple who betrayed him. But it is hard to figure all of his motives. Some suggest he was a Zealot – freedom fighter – focused on Jesus as an earthly leader, and disappointed that Jesus was a Prince of Peace instead.

• RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES. There was a clear clash between Jesus and the religious authorities, as Jesus threatened their positions of power.

• ROME. Jesus not only appeared before the high priest – he was taken before Pontius Pilate, the representative of the political authority of Rome, and they were certainly threatened by this talk of a "King of the Jews."
  

• HUMANKIND. Our faith challenges us – to see how Jesus’ death could not be pinned upon any one individual or any one group. Our faith language expresses the truth that the death of Jesus is the result of our sin and disobedience.

A verse of the hymn Ah, Holy Jesus expresses this thought in a profound way:

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.

(Hymn written by Johann Heermann, 1630, English translation by Robert S. Bridges)

The power of remembering the death of Jesus is that rather than being a defeat, it became the ultimate victory. This truth is described in the word "ATONEMENT" - reminding us that Jesus’ suffering and death overcomes the separation between God and humankind.

John Wesley once suggested that what we believe about the atonement – the death of Jesus – is the thing that distinguishes a Christian from someone who simply believes that there is a God.


Read this article describing the meaning of atonement, and various "theories" of the atonement.


BIBLE PASSAGES THAT DESCRIBE THE MEANING OF THE CROSS:

JOHN 1:29. (John the Baptist identifies Jesus as...) “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

In this way, Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrifices that had been offered for generations as a way to remove the consequences of sin. Jesus fulfills this sacrifice is an ultimate way through his life and death. He is “a full and sufficient sacrifice." Look at Jesus' own words that describe the meaning of his death:

MARK 10:45. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

JOHN 3:14-15. So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

This passage from Hebrews gives us the powerful phrase "once for all," describing the powerful impact of Christ's sacrifice:

HEBREWS 9:27. He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.


Someone once said, “If we can save ourselves, then we have no need of a savior.” Not everybody likes this idea – that it takes a death to give us life. Even in NewTestament times there were those who just could not accept this way of thinking:

1 CORINTHIANS 1:23-25. When we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

When he died, the Bible tells us that the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn completely in two – from top to bottom – that curtain represented the separation between God and humanity that was overcome through his "once for all" sacrifice. Because of that sacrifice, you and I can say, “He died for me.”


Some of the finest expressions of the meaning of Jesus' death are found in the language of hymns and songs of faith. These are songs you would think would be morbid and sad, speaking of defeat and loss. Instead they speak to us of a victory beyond compare.

HYMNS THAT DESCRIBE THE MEANING OF THE CROSS:

In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime.
- John Bowring, 1825

‘Tis finished! The Messiah dies, cut off for sins, but not his own.
Accomplished is the sacrifice; the great redeeming work is done.
The veil is rent in Christ alone; the living way to heaven is seen;
The middle wall is broken down, and all mankind may enter in.
The reign of sin and death is over, and all may live from sin set free;
Satan hath lost his mortal power; ‘tis swallowed up in victory.
- Charles Wesley, 1762

What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.
- Anonymous. English translation by Paul Gerhardt, 1656

O Love divine, what hast thou done! The immortal God hath died for me!
The Father's co-eternal Son bore all my sins upon the tree.
The immortal God for me hath died: My Lord, My Love, is crucified!
- Charles Wesley, 1742

Above all powers, above all kings, above all nature and all created things,
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man, you were here before the world began.
Above all kingdoms, above all thrones, above all wonders the world has ever known,
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth, there's no way to measure what you're worth.
Crucified, laid behind a stone, you lived to die, rejected and alone,
Like a rose trampled on the ground, you took the fall and thought of me above all.
- Michael W. Smith